Archive: Feb 2007

After sending a small unmanned ground vehicle (SUGV) into a building to search for IEDs, Soldiers prepare to enter the structure during a demonstration of the Army's Future Combat Systems program Feb. 1 at the Oro Grande Base Camp, Fort Bliss, Texas. After the exercise one Soldier said he was able to clear the rest of the building before anyone got "hurt" thanks to the information provided by the SUGV.

"Duty, Honor, Country." This is the motto of the United States Military Academy at West Point. The motto, however, is more than just words, as evidenced by the enthusiastic showing of Cadets who took a break from their studies to give blood for the troops.

The sudden clap of a firearm's discharge prompts the split-second reaction of paratroopers patrolling the volatile streets of Iraq's capital on foot. From behind urban cover aEUR" a car, a corner or even a light post aEUR" they meticulously scan their interlocking sectors of fire to ensure 360-degree security for the platoon conducting a presence patrol.

It will take more troops to conduct a combination of security and stability operations to end fighting in Afghanistan, Gen. Bantz J. Craddock, NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe said in Munich, Germany, Feb. 10.

Mark Martin qualified 33rd in Sunday's Pole Day at Daytona International Speedway. The U.S. Army Team will now turn its attention to Thursday's Gatorade Duel qualifying race, as they continue to get ready for Sunday's Daytona 500.

The White House announced today, Feb. 9, that President George W. Bush will present the Medal of Honor to Army veteran Bruce P. Crandall in recognition of his valor at Landing Zone X-Ray during the Battle of Ia Drang in Vietnam.

The Army is the best equipped, trained and led force it's ever been, but it needs continued funding to ensure it's ready to face future conflicts, the Army's top two leaders said in congressional testimony today.

Soldiers and Sailors put together a causeway so vehicles can be driven from ship to shore in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, Feb. 6. The Soldiers and Sailors are participating in a simulated disaster response exercise, with emphasis on the engineering and logistical aspects.

Master Sgt. Dale Greenfield, an engineer from the South Dakota Army National Guard, removes a tree stump at the groundbreaking for construction of a new school in Caliguate, Nicaragua, Feb. 5. The Soldiers, along with Airmen, are building a school and clinic, as well as providing free health and veterinary care.

Nicknamed "the Black Panthers," the Soldiers of the 761st Tank Battalion fought racial stereotypes of the time, but still went on earn the nation's respect and an honored place in military and American history.

A designer navigates high above the floor moving from room to room adding a pipe here, putting up a wall there and sprinkling the final touches on the building layout that will contribute to millions of dollars in savings.

The 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team established a combat outpost in the heart of Baghdad this week in an effort to reduce sectarian violence in the Iraqi capital and assist the Iraqi security forces to take control of the city.

Lt. General Henry "Trey" Obering, Missile Defense Agency (MDA) director, announced today the successful
completion of an exercise held Feb. 7 involving Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) elements while
participating in a routine operational test of a U.S. Air Force strategic missile from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. as a "target of opportunity."

Families of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, received the second of six briefings from Fort Drum leaders offering help in such areas as finance, behavioral health, spirituality and legal concerns.

The Army's Future Combat System program has been restructured as part of a "balancing act" between equipping the current force and modernizing the future force, a top Army acquisition official said yesterday.

A Jordanian medical team of doctors, nurses and medical technicians were welcomed at the Zabul Provincial Hospital Jan. 31 by local citizens, government officials and the commanders of the 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain divisions.

Sgt. 1st Class Roger Krause, from the Virginia Army National Guard, shows a group of Tajik soldiers how to use hand and arm signals to direct others to get into a wedge formation, during an exercise in Tajikistan Jan. 30.

The dead of night covered their movements. Out of their Strykers, down the street and into a courtyard, the Soldiers moved. Kicking in the door at 3 a.m. was just enough to catch their targets off guard. Elements of the 2nd Infantry Division's 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team had taken two more suspected insurgents off the streets.

A group of dignitaries from an array of countries escorted by Emily Kalogeropoulos, an English language officer working with the U.S. Department of State visited Camp Atterbury Feb. 5 to gain knowledge about the role of local National Guard troops.

A local business owner was recently recognized by the Joint Munition and Lethality Life Cycle Management Command commander for his generosity and kindness in support of wounded military members.
During a tour of the Jackie Evans Inc., manufacturing facility in Passaic Maj. Gen. Paul S. Izzo presented Mario Monaco Jr. with a two-star note in recognition of continued support to wounded Soldiers Jan. 23.

Friends and family back home will have a chance to see their servicemembers in action and hear their personal messages via video thanks to the efforts of a cable network dedicated to the military.
Beginning at 6 a.m. on Feb. 14, Discovery Communications' Military Channel plans to launch "Operation V-Day," a 24-hour commercial-free airing of messages from troops around the world to their loved ones in the states.

Lt. General Henry "Trey" Obering, Missile Defense Agency director, announced today that the Sea-based X-band Radar (SBX) has successfully traveled from Hawaii to the waters of the Aleutian Island chain of Alaska.

"Perhaps no tool is more important to a burgeoning democracy than a well-trained police force capable of establishing the rule of law in Iraq and of protecting the Iraqi people," said Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hunzeker, the U.S. commander of the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team.

Rock Island Arsenal's Master Sgt. Latisha Turner was named an Equal Opportunity Advisor of the Year for the Army Materiel Command on Dec. 14 at the Annual Worldwide Equal Opportunity Advisor Training Conference in Orlando, Fla.

The Project Manager for Close Combat Systems, part of the Joint Munition and Lethality Life Cycle Management Command, chartered its first Product Management Office, the Product Manager for Intelligent Munitions System in an assumption-of-charter ceremony here Dec. 8.

A Jordanian medical team of doctors, nurses and medical technicians were welcomed at the Zabul Provincial Hospital Jan. 31 by local citizens, government officials and the commanders of the 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain divisions.

The White House announced today that President Bush will present the Medal of Honor to Bruce P. Crandall in recognition of his actions at Landing Zone X-Ray during the Battle of Ia Drang, Vietnam, in November 1965.

Iraq's provincial government and coalition forces are working earnestly to improve the way of life for the people of Diyala through reconstruction efforts focused on the their needs throughout the the province. "We have big plans for the people of Diyala," said Ra'ad Hameed Al-Mula Jowad Al-Tanimi, governor of Diyala, during a press conference. "There are lots of projects being worked to improve the health, school and education, electricity, water and housing."

Urban combat often devolves into a series of actions that traverse winding streets and narrow alleys--sometimes for hours. That was certainly the case for Sgt. 1st Class Stephens on June 24, 2004, in Baqubah.

In a place where chaos and destruction are part of everyday life, smiles can make a world of a difference. Add humanitarian assistance to the equation, combined with a desire to help others, hearts can be won. That's what Soldiers, Airmen and civilians are doing, and they're progressively winning the hearts of Iraqis in Baghdad at the Civil Military Operation Center here.

Loyalty and allegiance by definition means faithfulness to whatever one is tied to, by duty, pledge or promise. It's a person's willingness to devote their moral and intellectual resources bigheartedly and enthusiastically, which describes Sgt. Maj. Brent Jurgersen, the first full limb amputee student to attend the Army Sergeants Major Academy.

The U.S. Army announced Feb. 5 the details of its budget for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009, which covers from Oct. 1, 2007, through Sept. 30, 2009. The FY08 budget request is $130 billion. The FY09 budget request is 140.7 billion. The FY08/09 budget is structured, first and foremost, to provide trained and equipped forces to the combatant commanders, balancing immediate war-fighting needs with the development of future enhancements. The Army will continue to focus on winning the Global War On Terrorism, accelerating transformation to a modular structure and sustaining the all-volunteer force.

Mark Martin's appearance in this Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway will be his record-extending 19th consecutive start and 20th overall. The all-star event will also mark his debut for Ginn Racing in the No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet.

Today a strong, dust-filled wind blew out of the south. It kicked up a loose pop can and rattled it down the gravel street that serves as home to the Headquarters of the 2nd of the 137th General Support Aviation Battalion.

A 3-percent pay raise for servicemembers, an increase in ground forces and continued funding of the global war on terrorism are on the table now that President Bush has delivered his fiscal 2008 defense budget request and 2007 emergency supplemental request to Congress today.

Bomb blasts are one of the biggest threats to U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq. That threat is putting even more pressure on military pilots who carry Soldiers and supplies by air. Michelle Michael introduces us to two Chinook pilots in Mannheim, Germany, training for combat.

It's an award that has been given to such distinguished leaders as retired Gen. Colin Powell, former Senator Bob Dole, former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry, and retired Gen. Hugh Shelton. Since 1979, George Washington Chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army has been awarding their Commander-in-Chief Award to a deserving leader who makes a great contribution to America.
This year, for the first time ever, board members of the chapter selected not an individual, but a unit of Soldiers. The 2006 recipient of the Commander-in-Chief Award is the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard).